


A Lovely Awkward

by galaxy_farts



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Amusement Park, Cute, Established Relationship, Fluff, Jealousy, Kinda, M/M, date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-11-29 20:32:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11448540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxy_farts/pseuds/galaxy_farts
Summary: Stuart is put in charge of the couple's next date. However, Stuart knows little about his lover of six months. Will he be able to pull off a romantic setting?! Or will he totally flop the situation?!





	1. Stuart's First Date

Stuart was standing at the door of Murdoc's house. It was still early in the day, but he could blame the sweat on his forehead on something other than the slight heat. He gulped as he thought of different ways the entire situation could go to hell. He wanted to knock on the door but the fear of rejection kept him at bay from taking action. Why was he like this?

He knew why. It was Stuart's very first date with Murdoc. The very first of, hopefully, a lot more.

Only it wasn't. At all. Well, they had been a couple, but they hadn't really been a 'couple-couple'. They didn't do couple things. Maybe they would go out and eat something every now and then, but they never got any farther than that.

This would be their first date. The first one that Stuart had been put in charge of by none other than Murdoc himself. If it had been Stu's choice, he definitely wouldn't have taken control.

 

==Flashback==

 

Murdoc and Stuart sat across from each other at a fast food restaurant booth. Murdoc was on his phone and Stuart was looking out the window. Stuart would often glance at his partner, half-hoping for a sign of sorts and half-hoping he wouldn't notice him at all.

The booth was quite ugly as the seats were torn all over and had mysterious stains that couldn't seem to come off with anything. Their booth was the only one with a flickering light above them that constantly buzzed. It was all very unattractive but it held a special meaning to them. To Stuart, at least.

That dull booth had been where Stuart had confessed his feelings to Murdoc for the very first time. He could still recall every single thing that was said that day, but that's another story.

Stuart only now realized that Murdoc didn't really say much in return that day. Stuart just sort of assumed they were dating from then on and stuck on to Murdoc like gum on a shoe for the following six months.

Stuart was very vague with his intentions, but he was also low-key clingy most of the time. However, it didn't take a genius to know that Stuart was uncomfortable with most physical contact. Because of this, he had never even had his first kiss with Murdoc. He hadn't really had a first kiss with anyone, for that matter.

Murdoc was a completely different story. He had expected to get some the very first night of their relationship, but fast forward six months and he had barely laid a hand on him. Stuart was a nice guy but he was just so...unlike Murdoc.

Murdoc had never really looked for dating someone ever. He just wanted to mess around with someone then be gone by the next day. He wished it could have been that simple with Stuart because their current state was extremely complicated.

He didn't only want to be with Stuart for a few nights then leave. He felt strange around the other man. It felt fuzzy and warm, but gooey and sticky at the same time. He hated it. He hated it because he couldn't understand it, he didn't like feeling confused but it felt oddly tempting to stay. A little voice in the back of his head told him this could lead to something.

But so far it had only led to awkward staring and small talk.

Yet he had done it all for six months.

Six months of "if I'm feeling confident, we can hold hands". Six months of "wow we managed to make a normal conversation, hurray". Six months of it.

Murdoc refused to look up from his phone to make eye contact with Stuart. He knew that if he looked at him now, Stu would put on that blushed face of his and try to hide it, which he found to be incredibly cute.

Stuart cleared his throat which was a sign for Murdoc to look up. Stuart looked rather nervous.

"I was wondering if, um...we were going to do anythin'...", mumbled Stu, "But it's fine if we don't too!"

"I don't know," Murdoc replied as he looked back down at his phone, "Anything in mind?"

"Well...I thought maybe you'd like to...take care of that..."

"Can I just ask you something?" Murdoc paused, "Why am I always the one in charge of when and where our dates happen?"

"Oh, well, um...I didn't know it bothered you, s-sorry..."

"It's fine. It doesn't bother me," Murdoc responded.

Stuart felt relief flowing through him.

"Well, actually it does," Murdoc corrected.

Stuart's heart skipped a beat. Maybe two.

"I say you should be in charge of our next date," Murdoc suggested.

"Wh-What?!", Stuart blurted out with a small jump.

"Yeah, you choose where we go, when and what we do. Whaddya say?"

"But that's-that's crazy! I...I don't know anything 'bout controlling these kinds o' situations!"

"Well, you can learn from this experience, simple as that," Murdoc said as he got out of his seat.

Stuart was still in shock from what he had just been told. He wasn't necessarily the romantic type and didn't really know what kinds of things Murdoc liked. He followed Murdoc out the door and picked up speed to walk next to him.

"Um...what-what do you wanna do for the date?", Stuart stammered as he laced his fingers.

"I don't know," Murdoc said dully, "Surprise me".

And with that, Stu stayed silent the rest of his ride home, over-thinking their conversation even after Murdoc had dropped him off at his apartment building.

==End Flashback==

 

All in all, it technically _was_ Stuart's "first date", as it was the first one he had prepared. He knocked at the door and held his breath until Murdoc answered.

Murdoc opened the door and proceeded to look up and down at Stuart. He hid his face as he snickered at Stu's clothes.

Stuart had worn a black suit and bow-tie with a tiny, dead flower in the chest pocket. He wore a vaguely stained white collar shirt and dress pants. Murdoc's snickering soon turned into cackling as he facepalmed. 

"Oh sweet Satan," Murdoc giggled and took a deep breath, "I didn't know we were going to a damn wedding!"

Stuart blushed heavily from both anger and embarrassment. He crossed his arms and looked away.

"It wasn't my first choice, y'know?", Stuart justified, "My neighbor told me I should take on something classy..."

"Well, I'd offer you some clothes if you weren't so freakishly tall,"

Stuart's shoulders dropped when he heard that last bit along with his expression.

Crap.

There was a prolonged silence which Murdoc broke uncomfortably.

"I was...I was only joking," he explained. 

Stuart sighed heavily as he put his hands in his pockets. "Can we...can we juss get goin'?", Stuart asked. 

He had done it now, Murdoc almost regretted saying any of what he said. Almost.

"Yeah," Murdoc responded as he grabbed his car keys.

Murdoc started the car as Stuart adjusted himself in the passenger's seat.

"So, where are we going?", Murdoc asked, trying to sound less like a dick.

Stuart still avoided eye contact with him as he handed Murdoc a flyer for an amusement park.

How cliché.

Still, Murdoc faked a smile as he read the flyer's contents. It was pretty far. Just what he needed, a long and uncomfortable car ride with the one person he couldn't seem to make smile.

 

The first twenty minutes of the ride were full of silence with the exception of the radio playing at a low volume. There was definitely tension in the air.

Surprisingly enough, Stuart was the one to break the silence by commenting on how a cloud looked so much like a dragon. He seemed to have relaxed a bit.

Eventually, Murdoc decided to start a conversation with Stuart. It was his chance to redeem himself, he couldn't mess this up now. 

"So, did you bring any money for the rides and stuff?", he asked.

Stuart stayed silent for a few moments before he answered.

"I won a raffle online, so we get a free pass for every ride and every game," he responded sheepishly.

"Oh, that's great!", Murdoc smiled, "Free stuff is good, huh?"

"Yeah!", Stu said, followed by an unexpected laugh.

Murdoc could've hugged Stu right then and there if he wasn't driving. And if Stu wasn't so strict with personal space.

Murdoc suddenly entered a sort of guilt-trip as he remembered the way he judged Stuart. The poor guy was trying hard to impress him and he just had to be the cloud over his parade. Feeling less and less of himself, he finally let go.

"Listen, Stu, all that I said back there was a really dick move, I was kind of a jerk. Okay?", he finished. For his own prideful reasons, he couldn't bring himself to properly apologize.

"Oh, no, it's okay. Y-You were right, I definitely over did it with the suit...", Stuart said as he look down at his outfit.

"Actually, I have to tell you somethin' too. I just feel too guilty to keep it to myself."

Stuart took a deep breath.

"I don't actually have a neighbor who told me to wear this. My only neighbor went on a vacation a few months ago."

Murdoc held back a grin from the confession. How could someone be that cute?

Before he could say anything in response, Murdoc realized they had already arrived at the fairgrounds' parking lot.

"We're here," Murdoc said as he searched for a space to park.

Stuart suddenly felt a bit of panic. He chewed on his nail as he thought about what people would think about his attire. It was the middle of a sunny day and he was wearing a suit.

"Murdoc! What do I do?", he panicked.

"What is it?", Murdoc responded.

"I can't wear this! Oh, what was I thinking? I have to change into somethin' else!", cried Stuart.

"It can't be as bad as you imagine..."

Stuart's eyes started to water, "Oh, they're gonna make fun o' me!".

Murdoc was shocked to see Stuart crying over what he was wearing. He didn't really know what to tell him, it's not like he had a spare change of clothes with him. 

"Just take off the jacket, you'll stand out less. I can just buy you a shirt at a shop or something", Murdoc added.

"Really? You'd buy me a shirt?". Stuart wiped his eyes.

"Well, yeah. That's what couples do, right? They buy each other stuff," Murdoc said thoughtlessly.

Stu gave a bleak smile as his cheeks grew bright pink.

"Well, I'll just leave it here...", Stuart said as he placed the jacket in the back seats.

Once parked, Murdoc turned to look at Stuart who responded with an almost toothless smile.

Both men stepped out of the car and walked side by side.

Murdoc slowly shifted closer to Stuart. He subtly reached out for his hand, hoping Stu wouldn't notice.

Stuart looked down at Murdoc's hand and paused for a fraction of a second.

He got a tight grip on Murdoc's hand and smiled up at him.

They walked through the front gates of the fair, hand in hand yet still avoiding eye contact.


	2. Piggy Plush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After arriving at the fair, Stu and Murdoc find a game, but someone shows interest in Stuart. This is clearly not good news for Murdoc.

Murdoc and 2-D made their way through crowds of people standing outside of the ticket booth, eventually finding a place in the line.

The line was going extremely slow and it didn't help that there were so many people waiting in every single booth.

Little by little, the line moved on. They were still many places away from being first and family members from ahead of the line kept cutting, thinking that blood relation was some sort of free pass.

Murdoc groaned as he saw a large group of teens cut right in front of them. He would've told them to screw right off, but he couldn't get in a fight now. Not in the middle of a date.

Stuart sighed as he lowered his head. "Maybe we should juss go... I saw a nice restaurant on our way here," Stuart finished.

"No way we're leaving now," Murdoc grumbled, "We waited so long now and there's no way I drove all the way here for nothing,".

Stuart felt his chest tighten as Murdoc raised his tone.

"Listen, this is _your_ date. You invited me out and I agreed so you can't just choose to ditch me," Murdoc added.

Stuart was surprised to see that Murdoc had a similar idea of what owning a date was like compared to how Stu saw it.

"It's alright," Murdoc said, trying to sound calmer. "We can take this time to talk about anything,".

Stuart was too startled to even start a conversation now and shifted his weight on his legs, one at a time, making him look like a wobbly tower.

A few minutes passed and before they knew it, they were up next in the booth.

"How many people?", the lady behind the glass asked.

"Well, actually, my...my _friend_ here has tickets for the free rides and games," Murdoc answered.

"Oh, in that case, you can already enter. You didn't have to wait in line," she responded.

Stuart gave a shocked look at Murdoc. Murdoc could've screamed at the top of his lungs out of frustration right then and there.

 

There were lights everywhere inside. The larger rides had bright colors all over them and small crowds formed at the entrance of each one. Although it wasn't dark yet, the lights already seemed to be shining boldly. There was a large cloud that carried with it a delicious aroma in the air. It had to be coming from the many food stands throughout the fair.

Stuart smiled as he looked at all the rides in amazement. His wonder was cut off by Murdoc pointing out a clothes shop.

"You wanted a change of clothes, right? How about something from there?". Stuart looked at the displays from the store. There were all sorts of wacky designs on the colorful shirts and sweaters. 

They entered the small stand and looked around. Stuart digged through a box of pop art shirts when he pulled one out. It was a yellow long-sleeved shirt and had a bright red zombie donut with neon sprinkles design in front. 

He grinned at the design on the shirt and tucked it under his arm as he entered a fitting room in the back of the shop.

 

Stuart walked proudly through the crowds as he wore his new shirt. It was very warm and fit him rather loose. He had bought a pair of jeans while he was at the shop and carried his previous attire in a plastic bag. 

Murdoc looked around the fair, he was not really interested, but he wouldn't show it.

They passed through several food stands that offered all sorts of deep fried snacks, none of which seemed healthy. There were deep fried corn dogs, ice cream, pickles and even deep fried butter.

Stuart 'aww'ed when they came across a small petting zoo. There were small lambs and goats laying in hay with people surrounding them to pet them. Stuart quickly made his way towards the small animals. He got closer to a lamb and rubbed its head. Murdoc rolled his eyes as he got closer. They'd be there for quite a while.

"Aren't they so cute?", Stuart said as he looked up at Murdoc.

"I guess, yeah," Murdoc grumbled. He couldn't stand the smell that wafted through the air. It was a mixture of old hay, goat and lamp poop and old people.

"It's so soft, wanna feel?", Stuart offered.

Murdoc grimaced and shook his head slowly.

"Come on!", Stuart said as he waved Murdoc to come closer.

Still, Murdoc refused as he started backing away. That smell was seriously getting out of control.

Stuart tried playfully pulling Murdoc in by his wrist.

As al of Murdoc's frustration kept growing, there was less and less space to keep it bottled up. He snapped and let it all out.

"STOP, I DON'T WANNA TOUCH YOUR STUPID LAMB!", Murdoc shouted.

Stuart quickly let go of his wrist and flinched, losing his balance and falling back on the hay.

Everyone in the small crowd, along with Stuart, was giving a shocked look at Murdoc.

Stuart got up slowly, legs trembling, and walked past Murdoc with his arm hiding his face.

He had done it again.

Murdoc quickly ran after the bluenette as he entered a portable bathroom.

"Stu, I'm sorry. I just acted like an asshole back there without thinking," Murdoc said through the door. He cringed at the fact that he was actually apologizing to someone.

"W-Why do you always have to be so m-mean to me?", Stuart sniffled.

 _Shit_ , thought Murdoc _He's crying now_.

"It's alright, let's just go out and do something fun! Come on, let's go on a ride!", Murdoc suggested nervously.

"No...", Stuart mumbled, "You're gonna laugh at me...".

Murdoc hid his face as he felt it growing hotter. Stuart was too precious for his own good.

Murdoc looked up from his hands. "Please?", he sighed. "You can't give up! This is supposed to be a date! I can't go on a date on my own!".

Stuart suddenly processed what Murdoc had told him. He was right. He couldn't stop his date. The point of it all was to please Murdoc, not make him feel like a crappy boyfriend.

Stuart cracked open the bathroom door and peaked his head through.

Murdoc stared back at Stuart in silence for a few seconds too long.

Stuart stepped out of the stall and cautiously walked back to Murdoc. He still didn't look directly at Murdoc, he didn't want to appear as easy to get back. Whenever Murdoc tried getting his attention, he would simply cross his arms and look away.

Murdoc knew Stuart was just being petty by ignoring him, but he still wanted to make him feel better. Usually, when someone was upset with Murdoc, he couldn't give a damn and ignored them. But for some strange (yet still dumb) reason, he couldn't just ignore Stuart when he was as upset as he was. He just couldn't.

Stuart suddenly stopped at a water gun game. He looked up at all the prizes but set his eyes on a large piggy plush. It had to be at least the size of a real child. He smiled as he lined up to play in the next round.

Murdoc stood a fair distance from the game, far enough to be part of the audience but close enough to see and hear Stuart.

"Alright, players, line up, 'cause we're about to enter our next round," announced the game operator.

Stuart sat on a stool directly below the huge pig plush.

"As you know, the goal of the game is to shoot the water gun directly into the center of the target in order to get to the top before any of the other players. Whoever can make it first wins a prize of their choice," the operator explained.

Stuart took a deep breath before the game started. He had to get that plushie.

The game had actually taken Murdoc's interest as he got a bit closer.

"On your marks...ready...go!", the operator shouted.

Stuart's hands slipped around on the water gun before he actually aimed onto the target. His heart was racing as he squinted his eyes to see the target clearer. He could hear people cheering in the background but attempted to focus solely on the game. The spray of water was hitting directly in the center when...

A loud alarm rang and Stuart jumped up in surprise as he looked around. Had he done it? Stuart's triumphant smile faded as he saw a muscular guy around his age surrounded by his cheering friends as he looked up at the prizes, deciding which one to get. Stuart turned around with an upset expression to find Murdoc who seemed entertained the whole time. He walked over to Stuart as he tucked his hands in his pockets.

"Tough luck, I guess," he said. "Well, let's get going then," Murdoc sighed as he started walking away, "I saw a ride I thought looked--".

Before Murdoc could finish, he turned around to find the real winner of the game talking to Stuart.

"Hey, congrats on trying your best," he smiled. "I was thinking, a pretty face like yours shouldn't look so upset today. How about you choose a prize? It's on me," he finished.

Stuart stared at the other man in amazement. He had an American accent, something Stuart didn't really hear every day.

"Really?!", Stuart beamed.

Murdoc was frozen as he glared at the muscular guy. What was he doing talking to his Stuart like that?

"Yeah!", the stranger responded, patting Stuart on the back.

"Um...can I get that piggy one there?", Stuart asked as he pointed at it.

Murdoc was now steaming with jealousy (although he wouldn't admit it was that), as he stomped towards the two.

"Actually," Murdoc chimed in, "There's no need for that. At all."

Stuart looked up at Murdoc, still sitting in the stool. He seemed surprised, as if he had almost forgotten Murdoc was still with him.

"Excuse me, I wasn't talking to you," the other man retorted. "I'm just trying to be a gentleman,".

"Well you can go be a gentleman somewhere else because no one needs it here!", Murdoc barked.

"Dude, calm down, you're making this a bigger deal than it should be. Besides, you're making her uncomfortable," the American said as he rubbed Stuart's shoulder.

"WH-WH-WH-," Murdoc stammered, "YOU'RE making her uncomfortable!". Wait, her? Murdoc paused for a moment to process everything. This guy seriously thought Stu was a woman?

Stuart swiftly slid out of the stranger's grip. "I think there's a misunderstanding...", Stuart mumbled. "I'm actua--".

"Listen, man, I don't mean any trouble, but if you wanna step up, then fine!", the other man shouted, completely disregarding Stuart's comment.

Murdoc gulped but still stood his ground. "Oh, big deal, you're a ball of muscles and tattoos,".

"Listen, I can beat you to pulp any day, so don't even try me!", the stranger threatened.

"Oh yeah?!"

"Yeah!"

"Murdoc!", Stuart shouted.

Both men turned around to look at Stuart.

"There's no need to fight! I can just--", Stuart started.

"She's right. There's no need to fight," the American shrugged. "We'll just settle this fair and square. I challenge you to beat me in the water gun game.".

Stuart sighed, "Oh for the love of--"

"Deal," Murdoc smirked.

 

As the next round started, Murdoc clutched the water gun tightly. He had to win against that imbecile.

"Go!"

Murdoc pulled the trigger and out shot the long ray of water. He locked his focus on the center of the target, he could feel the victory, he could taste it. By winning this, Stuart would definitely "return the favor" with something a little more romantic.

The ear-piercingly loud alarm rang and he heard a small crowd cheer. He turned to see that idiot cheering with his friends again.

"Well, looks like I beat you--"

"Another round," Murdoc said automatically.

"What?", he gawped.

"You heard me," Murdoc grumbled.

"Ha, you're probably all out of money, so don't'--"

"I've got free access to any and every game I want, so you can put that card away," Murdoc responded.

"I...fine. Just be aware, I will not hold back."

"Glad to hear it."

Crowds started gathering near them as the operator prepared them for round 2. Stuart leaned over to Murdoc with his fingers laced.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to...", whispered Stuart.

"Stand back," Murdoc said with determination, "I don't want you to..."

Stuart widened his eyes. Was he going to say it?

"Distract me from winning," Murdoc finished.

Stuart glared at him as he stepped back.

 

Before he knew it, the alarm had gone off and he scrambled his hands to find the trigger. As expected, his contender was far ahead of him and the alarm once again rang in favor of the American.

Murdoc took a deep breath and fixed his stare on the target. He could do this all day.

 

Stuart checked his phone. It was already five o'clock and Murdoc's competitiveness didn't seem to be ending soon. On the other hand, the stranger's money was definitely looking to come to an end.

During these past dozens of rounds, Murdoc hadn't won a single thing other than a large crowd. Stuart sighed as he focused once more on the game.

Murdoc was sweating from the pressure put on him by the audience. He was starting to lose hope for winning. Yet he pushed on and prepared for the nth round.

The operator called for the start and he pulled automatically. He felt adrenaline rush through him as he had a clear shot, right in the center. Just as he felt he was close, a shock of pain ran through his wrist. It hurt badly, but he tried ignoring it. Everything happened at once when the alarm rang and the crowd lost their mind.

Murdoc looked up to see the siren coming from his stand. His eyes widened and he almost forgot about the pain in his hand.

"I DID IT!", he exclaimed. 

Stuart goggled as he heard cheering coming from everyone.

Murdoc got on his stool and cheered from there but soon got down when he felt the pain in his wrist come back.

The game operator spoke into the microphone, getting the attention of everyone.

"Alright, what will your prize choice be?", he asked.

Murdoc turned around and observed the prizes.

"I'll take that pig one," Murdoc said.

With that, Murdoc took the large plush and handed it to Stuart.

"Wow, you really did it!", Stuart said as he hugged the plush.

"You happy now? I hope it was worth it, you retard," the American spat.

"Of course it was worth it," Murdoc shouted. "Anything for my honey," said Murdoc as he shifted towards Stuart.

"Wait, you...", he trailed off with confusion.

Murdoc turned around and walked away with Stuart. Murdoc turned back one last time and made a face at the stranger. He felt like a million dollars for some brief seconds until the pain came back.

He paused as he stared at his wrist. Stuart peaked over and looked up at Murdoc.

"What is it?", he asked with a worried look.

"Oh, it's nothing. Probably just a cramp from playing," Murdoc grumbled.

"Oh no...", Stuart whimpered. He carefully caressed and groped his wrist. "Does it hurt?", he mumbled.

Murdoc couldn't take his eyes off of Stuart. Something inside him felt warm and fuzzy, it was strange and he didn't know if he liked it. 

"No...not that much," Murdoc managed to say.

"Well, if it hurts, you can tell me and I'll try my best to make it feel better," he responded with a small smile.

The feeling inside of Murdoc only grew as he heard Stuart. He cleared his throat and looked away, hoping to lose Stu's attention.

"How 'bout we go on a ride?", Stuart offered.

"Yeah... I'd like that," he answered.

Together, they walked off in search of a ride. However, Murdoc still searched for what it was that radiated such warmth inside him, feeling happily confused.


	3. Roller Coaster

Stuart was finally feeling like his date was going the right way. He was feeling more comfortable around Murdoc than ever in the past six months. He had felt especially great when Murdoc had gotten so protective of him.

Just as he was fantasizing about him, Murdoc brought him back to Earth.

"You wanna get on that one?", Murdoc grinned as he pointed at a particularly scary-looking ride.

"Um...the scary ones?", Stuart said, "I dunno, you can get on your own..."

"Come on, didn't you come here for a good time?", Murdoc pleaded.

"Well, yeah, but I just...they're very...", Stuart looked up at a ride where a group of people were being dropped from a tall tower, "...intense."

"That's the point!," Murdoc urged, "Come on, I'll find us a place in line."

Murdoc disappeared into the crowd that was lining up for a rather horrifying ride. It was one vertical bar of metal where two people would be seated on each end. All the pole did was swing the group a whole 360 degrees and stop abruptly, only to continue spinning. Stuart's stomach flopped just from seeing it.

As much as he didn't want to get on, he knew Murdoc had a point. It was their date, it was okay to go a little wild every now and then. Besides, it'd be something he could enjoy. He'd be able to tell his co-workers about the ride and he'd surely be praised for his courage.

Stuart searched for Murdoc in the line, but it was hard to focus when every few seconds he'd hear the terrified screams of the current passengers on the ride.

Eventually, he found Murdoc somewhere in front of the line. Stuart was quick to ask how he'd gotten to the front of the line.

"Well, you see, there's so many cowards in the back that they just let me get in front of them, just to avoid going up next," Murdoc explained.

Stuart didn't know if he quite believed that but he shrugged it off and waited with Murdoc.

A few minutes later, just as they were being called in, he caught a glimpse of a previous duo.

It was a couple. He picked up a bit of their conversation as they walked out.

"Wow, that was awesome!", the girl cheered.

"Ugh, I think I'm actually gonna be sick...",her partner responded.

"Ooo! Let's get on that one now!", she beamed as she pulled on his sleeve.

Stuart gulped after they were out of sight. Maybe it really was a bad idea. His heart was racing now and he was sure the operator could hear it.

"Murdoc, I don't fink we should--"

Stuart was already being buckled into his seat but was cut off by the operator.

"Hold on tight, lots of folks have slipped right out of the seats while at the ride's peak," the man smiled.

Stuart felt his face go white. Was he serious?

The man walked away towards the machinery of the ride and Stuart tried turning to look at Murdoc.

"Murdoc, I don't wanna get on anymore!", Stuart cried.

"What?! You can't take it back now, you're already on!", Murdoc hissed.

"I know, but I wasn't ready, can't I just make an emergency exit or somethin'?!", Stuart said desperately.

Murdoc groaned, "Don't worry, it'll last a minute at most.".

"I don't want it to last a minute!", Stuart yelled, "I want it to be over already!"

Murdoc sighed. "If you just let this happen, we can buy an ice cream later, okay?", he offered.

"I don't want ice cream, I want off this ride!", Stuart shouted.

Just as Stuart was about to yell again, he felt his seat slowly rising. His eyes widened as he looked down to the floor which slowly grew more distant.

"No, no, no!", he panicked. "Help! Help me!", he called to no one, really.

"Just relax," Murdoc said with a sense of empathy.

Stuart was breathing heavily as he saw the crowds beneath him turn into ant-size dots. His stomach was doing front and back flips as he felt his heart pounding in his chest. He began thinking about his loved ones, he wouldn't ever see them again after his inevitable death on the ride. He shut his eyes tight as he felt his seat swing back and forth as it slowly elevated.

There was a sudden stillness in the air. Was it over? Stuart kept his eyes shut, staying put for any signs of movement. 

Nothing.

He felt tempted to open his eyes but resisted it for a while. Slowly, he opened up one eye. He looked down and a gasp escaped his mouth.

He was at the ride's highest peak. His heart dropped down to the pit of his stomach as he took a shaky breath.

"M-Murdoc...", he managed to utter.

As he had finished speaking, he saw everything become a blur. He took a big breath, incapable of even screaming. He could see his feet swinging upwards right in front of him. He felt his heart pump back to life in half a second but now it was only racing back to its end.

Just as everything had started, it ended quickly. He just saw blackness, nothing more. Was he dead? Had he finally given his last breath in a state of panic? He felt relaxed, at ease as he thought about his newly found peace. He knew he had at least passed away next to the person he loved more than life itself. 

Stuart suddenly took a large breath and blinked back to life. He stopped to slow down his thoughts, still feeling confused as shit.

He heard Murdoc's laughter right next to him. He was still on the ride?

"Wasn't that fun?!", Murdoc called.

Stuart looked down, only to look back up as soon as he had. The world was far beneath him by a dangerous distance.

"I... I fink I just died a little bit," Stuart whispered.

"What?!", Murdoc shouted. "I didn't hear you, talk louder!".

"Is it over?!", Stuart yelled with a hint of fear in his voice.

"Uhh...no!", Murdoc shouted. "We're about to go for the second half!".

Stuart felt his eyes widen. "A second time?!", he gawped.

His seat suddenly pushed forward with an even more intense speed. He could see he was about to crash right into the ground. He let out a small whimper as he shut his eyes. Maybe if he closed his eyes tight enough, he could pass out again?

Unfortunately, he was conscious throughout the whole spin. There was a loud whirring in his ears as tears filled his eyes. This was the closest to dying he would get to at the moment.

He suddenly felt the ride stop once more, again at its peak.

Stuart let out a shaky gasp and shouted at Murdoc.

"I'm breaking up with you!"

Murdoc let out a cackle and took a deep breath. "Why would you say that?!", he shouted.

Stuart could feel a lump grow in his throat. He felt like crying right on the spot, he couldn't bare to feel his legs swing in the air for any second longer.

Stuart suppressed his tears as he saw the ride slowly going back down. It was finally over.

 

Once off, Murdoc confronted Stuart.

"That wasn't so bad, now, was it?", Murdoc grinned.

Stuart felt his bottom lip tremble and his eyes burning. He let out a long, dry sob as he wiped his nose with his sleeve.

Murdoc was shocked at Stuart's sudden emotions and leaned over for a hug.

"Don't touch me!", Stuart shouted in between sobs. "It's your fault I almost died on that stupid ride!", he wailed.

Murdoc scoffed and forced back a laugh. "Why is it _my _fault?", he laughed.__

____

"You juss," Stuart sniffed, "I don't even know...", he dragged out with another sob.

____

Murdoc patted him on the back as he shook uncontrollably. It was pretty intense.

____

"Does it help if I say I still love you?", Murdoc teased.

____

Stuart let out another sob into his hands.

____

 

____

Stuart's anger was at a near end as he took a long sip from a chocolate shake he ordered. He was still slightly trembling as he held the plastic cup. Murdoc sat across from him, still keeping a fair distance to keep Stuart from yelling at him. Murdoc could only stare at Stuart, thinking about how cute he was when he was mad.

____

They had found a table in front of an ice cream stand that claimed to serve the "best ice cream in the world" like pretty much every other stand. Murdoc knew Stuart wasn't completely mad at him anymore because he had shared the ice cream with him. He didn't invite him to take a sip, but he didn't complain either when Murdoc poked his straw into the cup's contents .

____

There was a long silence between the two as the chatter from the fair continued, making things seem even more awkward. It was only then that Murdoc realized he had made Stuart angrier with him in these past three hours than he ever had in the past six months. Although that also meant he had gotten to know Stuart more, which was a real comforting idea.

____

Murdoc kept staring at Stuart, waiting to catch the other giving him a glimpse. Sure enough, Stuart took a quick glance at Murdoc from the corner of his eyes. He saw Murdoc staring back at him and puffed his cheeks.

____

Murdoc grinned back at him and got closer. Stuart's face turned bright red as he hid a smile with his sleeve. He kept looking at Murdoc until he finally gave in to his stare.

____

"Why do I always fall for that...", Stuart mumbled.

____

Murdoc laughed as he slipped his hand closer to Stuart's. "I don't blame you, anyone would,".

____

Stuart sighed and hid his hand from Murdoc. "I'm...sorry I got so violent," Stuart whispered, "I was scared...a little bit,".

____

"A lot," Murdoc corrected.

____

Stuart let out a shaky laugh, "Y-Yeah, a lot...". Murdoc smiled as he saw his lover's face light up. God, he loved it when he pulled that move.

____

"Anyway, I...I still fink you owe me somethin' in return for getting me on that horrible ride...", Stuart said.

____

"Alright, what do I owe you?", Murdoc asked.

____

"Ummm...let's get on another ride," Stuart smiled. "A calm one," he added.

____

"Which one?", Murdoc asked, feeling slightly disappointed that he hadn't gotten the answer he expected.

____

"I dunno. Let's go walk around and find one," Stuart said as he stood up, milkshake in hand.

____

Murdoc followed pursuit and soon caught up to his partner. He was sure Stuart would choose a ride for little kids.

____

After looking at Stuart for a while, he realized that he seemed happy to be in charge of finding a ride. He was getting a little too comfortable with his role.

____

Stuart pulled on Murdoc's shirt to get his attention.

____

"Did you find a ride?", Murdoc asked dully.

____

"Yeah, I like that one," he responded as he pointed at a ride.

____

Stuart's ride was a bit more extreme than Murdoc expected. It was a twist on the classic tea-cup ride, a morbid twist. The tea-cups were spinning at least five times faster and they would rise into the air and drop back. How was this legal?!

____

Murdoc felt a sweat drop on his face. "Are you sure you wanna get on that one..?", he asked.

____

"What is it? You can handle it, right? Or are you scared?", Stuart teased.

____

"Pssht, of course I'm not scared, it's just a ride, I can manage," Murdoc grumbled.

____

"That's great then! Let's go!", Stuart said as he pulled on Murdoc's arm.

____

Murdoc let himself be dragged into the line because he honestly didn't think he could line up in any other way. He couldn't try to talk Stuart out of this, he'd just look like a coward in front of him. Murdoc simply told himself it wouldn't last long and it was true, the ride would last less than a minute, for sure.

____

The inevitable moment in which the couple went up next arrived and Murdoc lied to himself by saying it would be a piece of cake.

____

Murdoc was seated in a tea-cup next to Stuart, which calmed him down a bit. He was sure he could make an excuse for holding Stu's hand while on the ride.

____

He took a deep breath and prepared for the worst. Stuart, on the other hand, seemed ready to have the time of his life.

____

The ride started up and he held his breath. The spinning started off slowly, the seat wasn't bouncing up and down, for which he was shortly grateful. Soon, the capsule began spinning faster and faster and Murdoc tightened his hand on the soft handle of the ride.

____

There was a sudden rise and fall and Murdoc let out a short scream that hid under Stuart's excited laughter.

____

"Isn't this fun?!", Stuart shouted, looking at Murdoc.

____

Murdoc slowly turned his head to look at Stuart, teeth gritted as he did. "Yeah...".

____

The ride went back up and down, up and down, up and down. He felt sick as he saw everything spinning, he could only hear the wind in his ears as he spun around.

____

The ride seemed to be lasting forever and Murdoc only tightened his grip on the handle. He shut his eyes and managed to open his mouth to talk.

____

"How much...longer?!?", he yelled.

____

"Um...don't get scared, but...", Stuart started.

____

Oh no.

____

"The ride's controls are kind of...going wack...", he yelled.

____

Murdoc felt faint as he heard that last part. That was all he needed. His stomach was flip-flopping and jumping about inside him. He wanted to just stop everything and catch his breath but that was clearly not a choice.

____

Just as he felt like he was getting a grip, he felt his stomach jump right to his mouth. He tried holding it back but to no avail, as he was spilling out his guts everywhere.

____

He saw everything fade to black then everything was gone.

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter will be more on the fluff-side. I can work on smut once I'm a little more comfortable with it.


	4. The Kiss

Murdoc opened his eyes and saw blue. Lots of blue. He blinked into focus and made out the shape of Stuart. Stuart? What was he doing here? Oh, right...he was on a date with him. Wait, a date? Why was he passed out? He felt confused but tried hard to remember how he'd gotten to the ground. Part of him hoped he had gotten into a really intense fight with someone.

"Murdoc? Are you awake?", Stuart asked.

"Wh...where am I?", Murdoc said as he rubbed his eyes.

"You were on a ride and you...you passed out," Stuart explained.

Wow. What a crappy way to go out.

"Really?", Murdoc said as he sat up.

"I think it's best we go somewhere else right now, you're kinda...", Stuart whispered, "...out in public,".

Murdoc looked around to see pairs of eyes looking at him and he laid his head back on to the concrete in defeat.

 

"I did _what?!_ ", Murdoc shouted.

"It's alright, though! The staff cleaned it all up before more people gathered," Stuart said.

"Oh, for fuck's sake...", Murdoc said as he facepalmed.

Stuart frowned as he stared down at Murdoc. He seemed so devastated and it made him feel terrible.

"If you're worried about it having had ruined our date, you're safe. I don't really mind," Stuart muttered.

Murdoc groaned as he slid onto the table. How could this date get any worse? He looked up at Stuart who was giving him a sympathetic smile.

"It's easy for you to say, you didn't barf in front of everyone...", Murdoc grumbled.

Stuart sighed and hesitated before he reached out for Murdoc's hand. He was shy with his approach, but he managed.

Murdoc looked down at his hand in surprise. But as he looked closer, he could see small bruises forming on Stuart's wrists.

"What happened there?", Murdoc asked.

"Oh, um...well, when you were on the ride, you got a little excited and you grabbed on to me," Stuart said.

Murdoc looked up with a shocked expression.

"It didn't hurt or anything...", Stuart added.

Murdoc hid his face again as he sighed.

 

The couple was back to walking through the fair as they found something to do. Stuart didn't really know what to do about his date's current situation. Everything seemed to have gone downhill and there wasn't much he could do to fix it. He held his piggy plush closer as a form of reassuring himself. 

Murdoc was still feeling like trash after the events in the tea-cups and didn't want to have any conversations with Stuart. He didn't want to talk to anyone, but he knew he had to stick next to Stuart for the rest of the night. He took a deep breath and scratched the back of his head.

"You wanna do anything in specific?", Stuart asked.

"Not really. As long as it doesn't involve eating or moving at the speed of light, I'm fine," Murdoc answered.

Stuart frowned but still tried to lighten the mood.

"Um...", Stuart stared around the fair when he looked directly above. "How about those floating chair-things?", he suggested.

"Hmm...", Murdoc thought. "I guess."

Stuart smiled and shifted closer to Murdoc. Maybe he _could_ find a way to turn things around.

 

"And it's not like I wanted to, but my boss was just being kind of a dick," Murdoc finished.

Stuart let out a laugh as Murdoc continued talking.

"I'm just trying to do my work and he's just being a sharp pain in my ass, y'know?", Murdoc added.

Stuart let out another cackle as he heard Murdoc go on. He was glad that Murdoc was feeling better now, and they hadn't even gotten on the chairs yet.

The next seats rolled in and the operator called them forward.

The two sat down on the metal bench and they were slowly brought upwards by the thick cables. Stuart brought the safety bar down, securing the bench. He sighed in relief as he leaned back. 

"So, what brings you up here?", Murdoc asked.

"Huh?", Stuart said under his breath.

"I'm Murdoc Niccals, you are?", he asked.

"What?!", Stuart laughed.

"Well?", Murdoc grinned. "What's your name?".

Stuart laughed and quietly responded, "I'm Stuart. Stuart Pot."

"Wow, what a beautiful name!", Murdoc said.

Stuart's face went bright pink as he hid his face.

"Hey, Stuart, I wanna ask you something," Murdoc said.

"What is it?", Stuart answered.

"Do you wanna see a trick?", he asked.

"Sure," Stuart smiled.

"Alright then," Murdoc said as he straightened his back. "Hold on tight,".

Stuart raised a brow as he peaked over to see what Murdoc was up to.

Murdoc started swinging the bench back and forth, slowly at first but getting stronger with each push.

"No, Murdoc, stop! D-Don't swing it!", Stuart shouted.

Murdoc laughed as hard as he could but stopped either way. The bench was still swinging, but it was slowing down.

Stuart sighed and crossed his arms. "That wasn't funny...", he murmured.

"Yeah it was," Murdoc said.

Stuart stayed quiet for a few seconds until he slipped out a laugh. Murdoc turned to look at him and grinned back at him. Laughter filled the moment and the two slowly stopped. Stuart sighed and glanced at Murdoc. He felt so comfortable around him, it seemed unbelievable. He had never really been as close to anyone as he was to Murdoc up until this point.

Stu still didn't have the courage to ask for permission to anything more than a hug, but he felt tonight might be the night he could ask.

 

After getting off the chairlift, Murdoc and Stuart continued to search for something to do. There wasn't much of anything that got either of their attention. Murdoc wouldn't say it out loud, but he felt that maybe Stuart was right about spending time like this together. They had fought a lot throughout their stay at the park, but the fact that he was still next to him was a wonder on its own.

All in all, they were locking each other's true feelings away, yet neither of them knew it. A truly frustrating situation.

As they were strolling through the fair, they passed through what appeared to be the tallest Ferris wheel in the whole arena. Stuart looked up with wonder and hugged the plush tighter. He turned to look at Murdoc who seemed to be focused on something else. Stuart kept walking and turned his back at the Ferris wheel.

"It got dark rather quick, didn't it?", Stuart asked Murdoc.

"I guess, yeah," Murdoc mumbled.

"So, you wanna do anything?", Stuart offered.

"I'm pretty tired now, I think I'd just like to lay back a little bit now," he responded.

"Oh...right," Stuart said, "Wanna get going home then?".

"Well, I don't know if I'm ready to go home yet, but if you--"

"Can we...get on the Ferris wheel before we leave?", Stuart interrupted.

Murdoc stood silent for a few moments but replied with a simple nod.

 

Stuart looked up at the enormous wheel and his eyes brightened with the lights. He stood next to Murdoc in line where a surprising amount of people stood in front of them. They were far behind in the line, but Stuart could wait, as long as he could stare at the wheel's shining lights.

Murdoc had that same fuzzy feeling inside him again, but he thought he knew why it was there this time. He was certain it had something to do with Stuart. Originally, Murdoc saw Stu as a rather clingy partner that couldn't even stand for himself. But he had seen that, sure, Stuart could be clingy and weak, but he always tried putting others in front of him, something that made him stronger than he'd ever be. Stuart's selflessness was a direct opposite of himself. He didn't deserve Stu.

As he grew distant in his own thoughts, the line got shorter and soon enough, they were up next. Stuart got in the capsule first and he seated the large plush right next next to him.

Murdoc followed Stuart and sat across from him. He closed the capsule door and stared back at Stuart. However, he broke eye contact as soon as he could. There was an awkward silence in the oddly tight box but Stuart tried to break it.

"So, uh...have you enjoyed our date so far?", Stuart asked with a blushed face.

"I was actually impressed. You managed to not kill me during these past few hours, that's something,", Murdoc grinned.

Stuart let out a weak laugh and cleared his throat afterwards.

They were back to the awkward silence as the sound of the ride whirring filled the air. Stuart looked up at the sky and smiled.

"You can really get a great look at the stars from up here," Stuart whispered.

Murdoc tried turning around but couldn't get a clear view. He moved over and mindlessly sat right next to Stu. From there, he had a perfect view of the night sky. He smiled and turned to look at Stuart again. Both men looked away almost as soon as they had caught a glimpse of each other.

Murdoc cleared his throat and sighed.

"Stu, I have to tell you now because I feel that you deserve to know," Murdoc began.

"What is it?", Stuart asked softly.

"I want you to know that I really _really_ don't deserve you," Murdoc said. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, but I've done nothing to deserve having you,".

Stuart looked worried but responded to Murdoc's comment.

"I don't think so. When you like someone, you don't really have much control over it, it just kinda happens, so really, no one deserves to have any one in their life," Stuart smiled. "But that's okay because, well, that's how love works, I guess. It's something unconditional and no one can guarantee that person will love you back," he finished.

Murdoc looked down and thought about it. Maybe Stuart was right...

"Listen, I love you," Stuart said with a redder face. "Do...do you really love me back?", he asked.

Murdoc stopped for a moment. He thought hard about the question. Did he really love him or was this his way of coping with himself? He felt his chest tighten while the question rang in his head. He took a deep breath and stared back at Stuart.

"I don't think I've ever felt this way towards anyone until now," said Murdoc.

Stuart sighed and hugged his plush tight. "I guess there's no way out of it then...".

Murdoc raised his brow and scooted closer to Stuart, expecting some kind of secret to come from him.

"Now we _have_ to kiss...", Stuart said with blushed cheeks hidden under the plushie.

"Well...um, we don't have to if you're not ready yet, I guess...", Murdoc mumbled, hoping for Stuart to disagree.

"Really?", Stuart asked.

Murdoc tried to hide his disappointment with a bleak smile. "Yeah, I mean...it can wait."

With a red face, Stuart mumbled, "Haven't you waited long enough...?". 

With that said, Stuart raised his head, shut his eyes and puckered his lips in Murdoc's direction.

Murdoc paused and gulped as he looked around, trying to find an answer somewhere in the capsule, but to no avail. He finally took a deep breath and leaned in.

It felt...strange. It was just a peck really, Murdoc had merely touched Stuart's lips with his own. Stuart opened his eyes after and turned back around.

Well, this was going to be awkward.

Murdoc took a deep breath and looked outside the window, something about that tiny peck had just sparked something in him that not even a French kiss could start. 

"That was only my second kiss, you know?", Stuart murmured.

"Oh.", was all Murdoc could really say. He felt rather uncomfortable.

"My-My first one was with my dog when I was eating ice cream...she-she licked the ice cream right off my bottom lip!", Stuart laughed.

Murdoc suddenly re-imagined that scenario with himself. Well, he was done with now as he thought that Hell couldn't be too bad of a place to go.

"How long do these rides last...", Stuart asked himself out loud.

Murdoc shrugged and kept looking away from him. He would lose control if he even got an inch closer to Stuart.

"Wanna do it again?", Stuart asked after a long silence. "The kiss?"

"Um, n-no thank you...", Murdoc said. If he agreed, he would make a home run right inside that capsule.

"O-Okay...", Stuart said.

The silence was seriously suffocating Murdoc at this point.

"Did I do something wrong?", Stuart asked with a hint of worry.

"No, no, I'm just... a bit overwhelmed, that's all," Murdoc explained. It's not like it was a lie anyway.

"Okay then...glad to hear it," Stuart sighed.

Just as they were being pulled into another awkward silence, the ride had come to an end. Murdoc was quick to get out and took deep breaths of the air outside. That had just happened.

Stuart came out hugging the piggy plush, still a light shade of pink as he stood next to Murdoc.

"Let's go home," Stuart smiled.

 

Once in the car, Murdoc turned the radio on low and Stuart tapped his fingers on the window. Murdoc took a moment before starting the car and blinked into reality. He had just had his first kiss with Stuart. He felt something fluttering in his stomach, but it could have been the dizziness from the ride.

The ride back was quiet but seemed to go by faster than the way there. Once at Stuart's apartment complex, Murdoc sighed and unlocked the door for Stuart to get out.

"It was fun!", Stuart smiled as he picked up his plastic bag of clothes. He exited the car and walked up to Murdoc's window.

"Um, if you don't mind, can I...can I have another one?", Stuart asked.

Murdoc glanced sideways and then back at Stu. "Sure, why not."

Stuart leaned in for a peck and slightly jumped up after.

"Bye!", Stuart called as he walked off.

Murdoc waved at him until he was out of sight. He pulled out his car from the parking lot and back on to the road. 

His thoughts were racing with the day's events. He thought hard about how much closer they'd become. Maybe it wasn't much, but it was definitely a step up from holding hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all, folks! Working on this was really fun as a small project. Tell me if you'd like to see more because I'm open for suggestions. See you Sunday!


End file.
